Currently: June (late!)

Currently worried about: As many of you might have already heard, a fire broke out near the entrance of Denali National Park on 6/30. Fortunately, crews are working hard to contain it (25% contained so far) and it hasn’t spread very far (388 acres so far). However, it certainly disrupted some tourist activities (closed the park, halted the train, etc), wiped out power in the canyon business district of the park, which displaced workers from their seasonal housing and put jobs on hold. This is heartbreaking for our area where businesses depend entirely on tourism squeezed into 4 short months. 

I am grateful at this point because our wood-sided homes surrounded by an enormous forest of natural fuel are not yet affected. It’s easy to downplay volatile weather and our crumbling Earth when viewed in isolated snapshots of events on the news. But when it’s unfolding before your eyes … that’s an entirely different perspective. In general, I’ve always told people it’s not a question of IF there will be a wildfire in our area, but WHEN. This summer has been unbelievably hot and dry thus far after a very low snow winter (as evidenced when our seasonal pond dried up by June 10 versus July 10). So we wait and see and hope for the best and roll with the adaptations in tourist operations. 

Currently living/working: Make hay when the sun shines … isn’t that the saying? Well, we are living it. Admittedly, it’s been a little bit of a weird summer schedule, in a good way (and now the fire has certainly caused a snafu in a few of our jobs for unexpected time off without pay). There are days where Justin & I are passing ships. There are days when we both leave at 7am and don’t come home until 9pm. There are days when we have time together and debate: are we doing a house project? Something fun? Nothing at all? Amidst it all, the frenetic energy vibe of the summer has been crescendoing to a deafening pitch.  

Current mood: Aside from the wildfire that is derailing & distracting us from status quo summer mania, I’m good.

Current confession: I’m like Goldilocks trying out new stints this summer to see what balance I like. 

Cleaning and doing laundry is methodical and therapeutic, but I can only tolerate those tasks twice, maybe thrice, a week. Guiding with New Wave Adventures allows me to have a new set of eyes and the opportunity to impart my passion for Alaska to others. Plus, it gets me hiking at least 3-4 times per week, which is clearly an added health bonus. Alaska Geographic leans more towards an office job, but my personal ethics are deeply aligned with the organization’s goals, making it fulfilling to contribute to something I truly believe in. 

Currently thankful for: We’ve always been masters at diversifying our income streams, and this summer is a perfect example of why it comes in handy to have multiple gigs. New Wave Hikes & Alaska Geographic work has been cancelled this week due to the wildfire, but I’m really hoping no Airbnb guests cancel. 

Currently amazed by: I have not worked in an office environment in about 15 years, and it definitely shows! I’ve felt like a dinosaur working at Alaska Geographic between having to use a non-Apple cell phone & non-Apple computer and programs like Sharepoint, NetSuite, Monday … My boss has a ton of patience for me, but it is certainly discouraging at times to try to keep up with tech and new-to-me programs. 

Currently not excited for: I left my mom’s house in NJ empty in April since I’m planning to finish cleaning it out and selling it when I have more time in the fall/winter. In a super fun turn of events, a storm took down some branches, which took down a power line, which damaged some complicated something that connects power to my mom’s house. In case you are wondering, it’s really a blast coordinating contractors to do work from 4,000+ miles and four time zones away … 

Current guilty pleasure: Because it’s been so HOT in Alaska, I’ve had more ice cream more times in the last 2 weeks than I have my entire 6 years living here. 

Currently proud of: I was selected to be part of the “Community & Outdoor Recreation Committee” for Denali Borough in June 2022. Since then, the committee has been meeting every other month and diligently working on numerous projects—most of which may not materialize during my lifetime. I’ve been thrilled to contribute to something significant in our community. This month we had the grand opening of the first official “borough” trail!  

Currently excited for: Justin & I both have separate trips this summer that we’re individually stoked on! I’m going on another gear testing backpacking trip with Outdoor Life, and this time we are going to the Goat Rocks Wilderness in Washington!! I’m so pumped to get some miles in a new area!! As for Justin, he was able to pull off a concert trip!! He’ll be going to see Dead & Co at the Sphere in Vegas! 

Currently reading: My reading slows down in the summer, but I still read 1.5 books this month! 

My Alaska Geographic job this summer encourages me to keep pursuing a deeper understanding of Denali National Park. Last year, I read Adolph Murie’s book about wolves in Denali in the 1930s. I picked up my second wolf book by another true field scientist (Gordon Haber) from the 1960s: Among Wolves: Gordon Haber’s Insights into Alaska’s Most Misunderstood Animal. It is fascinating, and what’s even more fascinating is that between his and Murie’s observation studies, as well as present-day research, Denali’s wolves are one of the longest studied wild wolf populations in the world. 

 I’ve been wanting to read something else from Anne Lamott since I’ve been a Bird by Bird fan since I read it in the late 1990s. I picked up Somehow: Thoughts on Love, but didn’t enjoy it! Maybe I’m not as big of a fan of Ann Lamott as I thought? 

Currently watching on Netflix/Peacock: Not surprisingly, we’re still on our Below Deck kick, and watched the first season of “Down Under” (in Australia). We liked it with Captain Jason versus Captain Sandy & Captain Lee! Plus, the guests went snorkeling & I was dreaming of my next snorkeling adventure!!!